The one holiday you don't want to celebrate

The one holiday you don't want to celebrate
We’re closing in on a big date … It’s January 19 – aka “quitter’s day.”

The company that runs Strava (a fitness tracking app) says that’s the day by which most people who set New Year fitness and fitness goals end up quitting.

You do NOT have to be one of those people!

In this email, I’m going to talk about one of the MOST IMPORTANT reasons people give up on their goals. 
It’s because:

They didn’t have a plan for when they slipped up.

And by slip up, I mean when they missed a workout, ate foods they weren’t “supposed to eat,” stayed up too late, or somehow “failed” to follow through with their plan.

Fact: Everyone slips up from time to time! (EVERYONE.) 

Knowing ahead of time what to do AFTER it happens goes a long way toward making sure that one slip-up doesn’t turn into two or twenty.

A solid post-slipup plan will help you:
  1. Recognize WHY it happened
  2. Reevaluate your process to see if it needs to be changed
  3. Get back on-plan ASAP
Here’s what I’m talking about:

Let’s say it’s a Thursday night and you’re been doing GREAT all week … but as you are finishing up work for the day, all you want is to get some takeout and veg in front of the TV instead of getting in your workout.

So that’s what you do.

And you feel a little guilt after, right? It’s time to give up! 

Wrong!

What if instead, you took a second to figure out WHY you didn’t follow your plan: i.e., “My willpower was low because I had a long, stressful day at work, plus I was tired. I’ve been going hard all week.”

And then once you realized the “why,” you reevaluated. Maybe you need to:

  • Add a rest day to your week,
  • Keep a healthy ready-to-go meal at home, and/or
  • Have a short and fun “off day” workout on standby with your favorite stress-busting exercises.
Then, the next day, it’s time to get back on track, with your contingency plan in place.

Now instead of the guilt, you feel EMPOWERED because you’re bulletproofing your plan. 

Your fitness & wellness journey is a PROCESS. What it looks like changes over time with the seasons, your schedule, your life, and your goals.

This is a BIG area I focus on with my clients – because the fact is, these are the moments having a COACH can be make-or-break for your goals! 

In fact, it’s one of the main reasons WHY people hire coaches in the first place.

An experienced coach can help you see the bigger picture and come up with solutions to keep you on track and moving FORWARD.

If you'd like some guidance and a proven plan, it's not too late to join my 28-Day Program that started TODAY! Check out the information HERE. Let's do this!

Here's what one 28-Day participant had to say, "I’ve learned that THIS is the most successful format for a challenge that I’ve ever participated in, thanks to everyone’s support and sharing. Even though no one is watching, I feel so accountable and want to hang in there with you all!"-Amanda J
 
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!

It's not just about your goals....

It's not just about your goals....

Welcome to 2022! 

If you’re not already feeling FIRED UP for SUCCESS … this mini mindset exercise will help you get there. (And if you are, it will take it to the next level!)

Chances are you’ve set quite a few goals in the past. Just the fact that you’re on my email list is a pretty good hint that you’re focused and goal-oriented.

Well today, we’re going to crank that up a bit.

This exercise is straight out of my 2022 Goal-Getting & Habit Stacking Action Plan (get your copy here: https://colleenriddle.com/landing/2022-goal-getting-guide)

What if this year, we expanded the idea of “goals” into something even BIGGER – a vision of SUCCESS. 

Think about what would make 2022 a successful year for you.

What would you look back on in amazement, pride, and excitement? 

I’m not just talking about health & fitness goals (though those are incredibly important)… 

I’m talking about ALL ASPECTS of your life – career, family, social network, spiritual connection, etc

What would you look back on and think, “Wow, look at what I did!”?

You know you’re on the right track with your “success vision” when you: 
1) Feel yourself start to smile and/or 

2) Get some butterflies in your stomach

And here’s where the rubber meets the road….

It’s time to live “AS IF” you’ve already reached that success.

What would your day look like today if you ALREADY achieved that success? 

What daily habits you would have picked up along the way? 

It’s time to start DOING THEM now – to adopt the habits of that future version of yourself. 

This is one of the most sure-fire ways to turn your goals into reality – it helps you learn and build the skills, habits, and mindset that will support your vision of success.

And even more importantly, it helps you create LIFESTYLE change where this “new way of living” becomes almost automatic. 

At Elite Physique, I'm not about quick fixes or yo-yo’ing results. I'm all about creating real, lifelong change. 

I want your “New Year” goals to become permanent, so you’re not setting the same goals year after year. 

I’ve worked with hundreds of people to help them lose weight, feel more confident, and create sustainable, healthy lifestyles.

If you want a personalized roadmap to help you achieve these same results, you don’t have time to wait! Your future “you” is waiting for you!

Join me in my upcoming 28-Day Total Body Transformational Challenge. It's a perfect way to kickstart your 2022 healthy lifestyle plan. It's time to say, "YES" to your health! Here's what one participant had to say, "I’ve learned that THIS is the most successful format for a challenge that I’ve ever participated in, thanks to everyone’s support and sharing. Even though no one is watching, I feel so accountable and want to hang in there with you all! All the tiny changes have been adding up and I'm having so much fun doing it!"-Amanda J

Let’s make 2022 one of the best years of your life!

Colleen
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!

5 important questions to ask yourself

5 important questions to ask yourself

As we approach the last week of 2022, I’ve got a GREAT mindset exercise that’ll help you do two things: 

  1. Set amazing new goals for 2022, and even more importantly,

  2. Give you the power to reach them.

FACT: almost all of us have had New Year’s resolutions at one point or another ... that we gave up on just a few short weeks later.

Want to know one of the main things that separate those who quit and those who don’t?

It’s engaging in regular REFLECTION along the way.

And a lot of people do it the wrong way. 

True reflection is a PROCESS that helps you recognize what’s working … and what isn’t … by asking yourself specific questions. 

Questions that can help take your life to the next level.

  • Reflection is NOT beating yourself up for what didn’t work.

  • Reflection IS taking time to think about the reasons why certain habits or actions “click” for you and why others are more of a struggle.

It’s stepping back to look at the big picture to see what is really required to set yourself up for success.

Here are 5 reflection questions to ask yourself over the next few days as we head toward 2022.

  1. How have you contributed to your happiness and health in 2021? 

  2. Where do you want to be a year from now? What is MOST important to you in 2022? (Top 3) Be specific. 

For each of your top three things, answer: 

  1. What specific things do you already do in your life that is moving you closer to what’s most important to you? Do you want to continue doing them in 2022? Take them to the next level?

  2. What specific things do you currently do that stalls your progress or holds you back? Why do you believe you take these actions? 

  3. What are 1-2 simple steps you can start taking NOW to make your vision a reality?

Another great question to ask yourself: “What would this look like if it was easy?”

If you get stuck, it helps to get an outside perspective. 

This is where coaching comes in …

Because a great coach can help you make the process a lot easier and more direct. They can eliminate the learning curve to find the fastest path to real results. 

And it’s one of the things we do best in my 28-Day Total Body Transformation Challenge. This program is specifically designed to take the guess work out of healthy eating and exercise. With my coaching and fun group atmosphere you will finally learn how to create and sustain healthy habits for a lifetime.

If you are ready for meaningful – and measurable – results, we are here to help. Here's what one client had to say about the 28-Day program, "When I started Colleen’s 28 day challenge, I was physically and emotionally in a rut. This challenge completely turned me around and headed me back in the right direction. I feel and look so much better! I would recommend this challenge to anyone!! Colleen is amazing, kind and fun to work with! Her workouts and all her lifestyle ideas are absolutely wonderful!! I would go so far as to say this stuff is life saving!!!" -S.H.

You do NOT have to go it alone! Click here for more info about the 28-Day Program. We start January 17th!

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2022!

Colleen
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!

4 Benefits of Exercise

4 Benefits of Exercise
I’m posting this as I sit in the hospital waiting for my husband while he’s getting a colonoscopy. I’m overcome with gratitude for my health. Over the past 2 hours as we got him checked in and waiting for the procedure to start, I’ve seen and heard so many people struggling with their health. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but those curtains just don’t block anything! The number of medications, heart issues, high blood pressure, etc is mind blowing. 

Thank goodness we are here for the preventative health factors of screening. I felt compelled to post about this because I’m even more aware of how important it is for us to be Proactive in our health. In the big picture of life, it doesn’t take much to eat whole foods, exercise, and keep our mind healthy (meditation, deep breathing, etc).

It’s no secret that moving more helps us to be fitter and healthier. Research shows that as little as 30 minutes of exercise per day can boost our general health and well-being. Here are just a few other benefits of getting in half an hour of exercise every day.

1. Reduce stress
 Exercise increases the amount of norepinephrine in your body – the chemical that can moderate our brain’s response to stress and stressful situations. If you’ve had a tough day, move your body and get your sweat on — a quick work out can reduce stress, as well as boost your ability to deal with existing mental tension.

2. Mood booster
 Feeling down, frustrated, or sad? Get in a quick HIIT session or yoga – physical activity stimulates chemicals in your brain to leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy the post-exercise endorphin rush?

3. Improve memory
 If you’re looking to boost your powers of recollection, take a half hour walk around the neighborhood. Exercise increases the production of cells in the brain responsible for memory and learning.

4. Improve self-confidence
 We all have days where we feel less than average – half an hour of exercise could be the ticket to feeling great about yourself. High-five for doing something positive for your body. 
 
 

Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!

5 Life Lessons I learned from Aerial Silks Class

5 Life Lessons I learned from Aerial Silks Class
When was the last time you got out of your comfort zone? For me, that was last night. A friend invited me to an aerial silks class. I really had no idea what I was in for, but I knew that it was pretty intimidating. All I could imagine were these super flexible people flying around on fabric hanging from the ceiling! It certainly wasn’t my “comfortable” home gym workout.
Here are a few life lessons I learned from my evening of aerial.

1. Say “YES!”
I’m so glad I said yes to meeting my new friends, Paulina & Crystalle. I wasn’t going to go because I had already played 2 hours of Pickleball….plus I knew it was out of my comfort zone. Not only did I have so much fun, I met two more amazing people that I’m glad to call friends, Shari Christiansen and Jill Schwartz.

2. Trust Yourself
This was my biggest lesson because I realized how much I didn’t trust my own body. I had to let go and trust that I was strong enough to hold on and that I wouldn’t fall. This extends into trusting your gut, and the fact that you usually know the decision or action you need to take in life.

3. Flexibility
My weakness stared me in the face. I definitely need to spend more time on flexibility and mobility. And in life, when we are willing to stretch, bend, and go with the flow we can achieve more. If we can maintain a flexible attitude to who we are, then we can also change more readily and take on new challenges.

4. Focus
I learned that if I could just focus on the new trick/move without getting ahead of myself I could do it. This resonates with me in life because I tend to want to know how to get to an outcome instead of just focusing on the moment and trusting the process.

5. Have FUN!
Don’t take yourself so seriously. We laughed at ourselves as we flipped, fell, and hurt some places I won’t mention😳🤣! Take on life with joy and curiosity. Enjoy the experience of the moment. Surround yourself with the right people to tackle activities that scare you but have fun along the way!

Yours in health,
Colleen
Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!
 
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